2008 Harley-Davidson FLHTCUSE3
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
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Vehicles › Harley-Davidson › FLHTCUSE3 › 2008
These records cover every 2008 Harley-Davidson FLHTCUSE3. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Recalls
2 recalls name the 2008 Harley-Davidson FLHTCUSE3. Newest first.
Harley-Davidson Motor Company (Harley-Davidson) is recalling all 2008-2011 Touring, CVO Touring and VSRC motorcycles equipped with anti-lock brakes (ABS), including Road King (FLHR), Road King Police (EFI) (FLHP), Road King Police (EFI) (FLHPE), Electra Glide Standard Police (EFI) (FLHTP), Electra Glide Classic (EFI) (FLHTC), Electra Glide Ultra Classic…
Risk and remedy
Risk
These deposits may cause a valve within the ABS Hydraulic Control Unit to stick, reducing braking ability and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Harley-Davidson will notify owners, and dealers will flush the entire brake system with new Platinum Label DOT 4 brake fluid, free of charge. The recall began on February 14, 2018. Owners may contact Harley-Davidson customer service at 1-800-258-2464. Harley-Davidson's number for this recall is 0171.
Harley davidson IS recalling 47,579 my 2008 flhp, flhpe, flhr, flhrc, flhrse4, flht, flhtc, flhtcu, flhtcuse3, flhtp, flhx, and fltr motorcycles. these motorcycles may experience a cracking of the fuel filter shell leading to loss of fuel pressure. this loss of fuel pressure can cause diminished performance and, in some cases, may cause an engine stall…
Risk and remedy
Risk
This condition could lead to a crash which could cause injury or death to the rider.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the fuel filter shell free of charge. the recall began on july 31, 2008. owners may contact harley davidson at 1-414-343-4056.
Owner complaints
11 complaints2 involved a crash1 involved a fire
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Service brakes
Brake failure on multiple instances, luckily no serious injury, bike did fall and ankle was sprained. ABS failure light has come on/off now on permanent. Brought it to local dealer on two occasions both times I waited over 1.5 hours beyond appointment time and bike was not touched, had to leave. Also, I asked if there any recalls or technical bulletins and both times the answer was no.
- Service brakes
I have a 2008 harley electra glide.rear brakes do not work.pedal IS solid.this IS a common problem with ABS module. I contacted harley they told me it would be 1200 dollars to fix the problem.there IS no warning when this will happen. It IS very unsafe and posibly deadly! I was on roadway when it happened and thankfully I did not crash.a
- Service brakes
During a panic stop caused by automobile pulling out in front of me my rear brake pedal went to its down stop. I was able to avoid an accident due to the front brake remaining functional. There was no fluid loss in the rear brake system leading to the educated (i'm an active faa airframe and…
During a panic stop caused by automobile pulling out in front of me my rear brake pedal went to its down stop. I was able to avoid an accident due to the front brake remaining functional. There was no fluid loss in the rear brake system leading to the educated (i'm an active faa airframe and powerplant mechanic) conclusion that a bypass condition exists in the anti-lock unit. A trip to my local harley davidson dealership revealed that there IS a known problem with anti-lock module on my motorcycle as it deemed obsolete and an upgraded unit IS all that IS available. The motorcycle has not been moved from my garage since the incident and has not undergone any mechanical work due to the estimated $1200.00 repair required. The motorcycle has a documented dealer service history so if required brake fluid changes were not done then it IS the fault of the involved dealers. I have just started dealing with this brake failure and will not allow the motorcycle to be tampered with until an investigation can be done by the appropriate officials yet to be determined.
- Power train
While riding I lost clutch control, throttle shifted to neutral, pulled over in safe spot and let bike cool (90+ degree day). After cooling I had enough clutch control to get to my destination.
- Suspension · Wheels
2008 harley davidson ultra classic cvo - closed and sealed front axel bearings of motorcycle sized in motion causing $1,600.00 worth of damage to said motorcycle (according to harley davidson folsom). With no warning at only 12,000 miles. I cannot emphasize how bad (in terms of injury) this would…
2008 harley davidson ultra classic cvo - closed and sealed front axel bearings of motorcycle sized in motion causing $1,600.00 worth of damage to said motorcycle (according to harley davidson folsom). With no warning at only 12,000 miles. I cannot emphasize how bad (in terms of injury) this would have been if it happened at speed. This IS certainly an extreme safety issue and learning that HD knows of this issue was a shock. How can such a well known organization allow their customers to be put at such a safety risk. Just do a web search and you see 100'S of similar incidents. *tr
- Engine · Power train
The problem IS with harley davidson's compensator assembly. when it fails, it causes problems with starting that can break teeth in the starting gear, leaving riders stranded. at times, it can pose a safety risk because it causes a backfire that send smoke and flames shooting out of the engine…
The problem IS with harley davidson's compensator assembly. when it fails, it causes problems with starting that can break teeth in the starting gear, leaving riders stranded. at times, it can pose a safety risk because it causes a backfire that send smoke and flames shooting out of the engine that would hurt anyone standing nearby when trying to start the bike. this IS the fourth compensator assembly that harley davidson has had to replace in my motorcycle, and a problem they are fully aware of, yet they will not do a recall. a "recall" should be ordered because of the countless number of people effected by this problem, and lack of permanent solution from harley davidson, exposing people to be at risk, and to be stranded at the time of failure. *tr
- Electrical system · Engine · Power train
On march 2, 2013 while driving my bike, the throttle control disappeared and the bike went into limp mode. The dealership repaired it, then on july 7, 2013 it started acting up and I took it back to the dealership. They could not find any problems, the on october 3, 2013 while driving to las vegas…
On march 2, 2013 while driving my bike, the throttle control disappeared and the bike went into limp mode. The dealership repaired it, then on july 7, 2013 it started acting up and I took it back to the dealership. They could not find any problems, the on october 3, 2013 while driving to las vegas I was on highway 99 when the bike went into limp mode. I was in the middle of two semi trucks with no throttle response with my wife on the bike. Luckily I was able to get over to the freeway shoulder. I had the bike towed to the dealership in bakersfield, they told me they know of the problem and repaired it again. No on november 1, 2013 it's starting to act up again. I have read on the harley forums that harley davidson knows of the problem and refuses to take ownership and issue a recall. The mechanic said the wiring harness connector was to short and the vibration of the engine IS causing the connector to fail. The mechanic say the harness needs to be redesigned and replaced. This IS a major safety problem and needs to be addressed, I'm hoping you can look not this. *tr
- Fuel system, gasoline
While riding at approx 45 mph the engine suddenly shut down without or warning check engine light the bike was towed to harley davidson dealer for repair result fuel filter housing o-ring came out and lost fuel pressure this IS the 2ND time. *tr
- Engine and engine cooling › Exhaust system
Tl*the contact owns a 2008 harley davidson flhtcuse3 motorcycle. While driving at various speeds, the contact smelled exhaust fumes from the inside of the faring. The contact became light headed and nauseous due to these fumes. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership where the contact was…
Tl*the contact owns a 2008 harley davidson flhtcuse3 motorcycle. While driving at various speeds, the contact smelled exhaust fumes from the inside of the faring. The contact became light headed and nauseous due to these fumes. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership where the contact was informed that there were eight other consumers experiencing the same problem. The dealer offered a repair and had the vehicle for 44 days but never repaired it. The failure mileage was approximately 2,000. The current mileage was approximately 10,000.
- Fuel system, gasoline › Storage › Tank assembly › Filler pipe and cap
TL* the contact owns a 2008 harley davidson flhtcuse3 motorcycle. The contact was driving approximately 65 mph and smelled a strong odor of carbon dioxide. The vehicle was driven to the side of the road. The contact resumed operation to his residence; after waiting two hours due to the exposure…
TL* the contact owns a 2008 harley davidson flhtcuse3 motorcycle. The contact was driving approximately 65 mph and smelled a strong odor of carbon dioxide. The vehicle was driven to the side of the road. The contact resumed operation to his residence; after waiting two hours due to the exposure of the carbon dioxide, the vehicle was towed twice to an authorized dealer for the identical failure. There was a prior recall repair performed per nhtsa campaign ID number 08v357000 (fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly:filler pipe and cap). The recall repair was insufficient and the failure continued to occur. In addition, there were unknown service repairs performed on the vehicle. The contact was concerned about the potential safety hazard. The failure mileage was 3,000. The vehicle had not been repaired when the complaint was filed.
- Tires
I wish to file a complaint against the dunlop d407f tires which came oem on my 2009 harley flhtcuse4. my tires started experiencing severe cupping around 12K miles and harley would not cover them under any of their warranties. I had to ride all the way across the country on this dangerous tire to…
I wish to file a complaint against the dunlop d407f tires which came oem on my 2009 harley flhtcuse4. my tires started experiencing severe cupping around 12K miles and harley would not cover them under any of their warranties. I had to ride all the way across the country on this dangerous tire to try to get it replaced by my dealer which never happened. the tire now has 17K miles on it with severe cupping and less than 3/32 of tread in the bad areas. the good sections of the tire (the leading edge of the tread pattern) probably have 15K miles left. I believe the severe bouncing of this tire may have caused the radio on the bike to die. I believe dunlop has discontinued this tire after only a few months of production because they are aware of the problem. harley now uses the d408f tire which IS basically the same tire with the tread backwards. a cupping tire IS especially dangerous around corners and in rain and I feel adamant that these tires need to be taken off the road. harley will not replace these tires because they go by percent of tread wear at the most wore part of the tread pattern, not by the least wore part which looks brand new. *Tr
Defect investigations
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened these reviews into vehicles including this one.
- Sudden Brake Failure - Motorcycle
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation in July 2016 based on forty-three (43) Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQ).During the course of this investigation ODI received a total of 145 VOQs related to the alleged defect on the subject motorcycles.Owners allege they experience a sudden and…
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation in July 2016 based on forty-three (43) Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQ).During the course of this investigation ODI received a total of 145 VOQs related to the alleged defect on the subject motorcycles.Owners allege they experience a sudden and complete loss of brakes on one or both wheels.To better understand the cause of the braking issue on the subject motorcycles, ODI requested NHTSA's Vehicle Research and Test Center (VRTC) conduct inspections and testing of affected vehicle braking systems.Through its work, VRTC determined that deposits were forming on the valves in the Hydraulic Control Unit (HCU) of the Antilock Braking System (ABS). These deposits could prevent the proper function of the HCU and render the brakes ineffective.To understand why deposits were forming in the HCU, Harley Davidson completed an analysis of the Dow 460 brake fluid used as original equipment on the subject motorcycles and determined that it had stability issues if left in the brake system for an extended period of time.Harley Davidson found that if a brake fluid flush was not conducted as outlined in the owner?s manual for the motorcycles, and was left in the system for a period of time beyond their recommendation; deposits could form in the HCU.Through further testing, Harley Davidson identified an alternate, commercially available, brake fluid that did not have the same stability issues as the original fluid and could stop the proliferation of any current brake system deposits.ODI sent Information Request (IR) letters to Harley Davidson and Dow Chemical (the supplier of the brake fluid on the subject motorcycles) to collect information about the subject bikes and the alleged defect.Harley Davidson responded in full on Sept 30, 2016 and Dow responded with a confidential submission on October 25, 2017.ODI analyzed the information contained in both IR responses and concluded that motorcycles manufactured during Model Years (MY) 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011 were failing at a rate greater than their peers.Based on this analysis and the brake fluid study conducted by Harley Davidson, a group of motorcycles was identified that were potentially affected by the instability of the original brake fluid.2008 marked the introduction of ABS on Harley Davidson motorcycles and a change in the Dow 460 brake fluid used in the 2012 MY vehicles provided the bases for the scope of the affected population.With recall action 18V-076 taken by Harley Davidson this investigation is closed as further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed at: https://www.nhtsa.gov/ using the complaint identification numbers attached to this resume.
Service bulletins
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
- 11008736SERVICE BULLETIN M1555 (REV E): BATTERY WARRANTY GUIDELINES. PURPOSE: Revision E. Added: Added procedures for the DCA-8000 E Battery Tester.* Updated: All sections. This bulletin informs the dealership network that Harley-Davidson has provided guidelines for battery warranty.
- 11007544SERVICE BULLETIN M1490 (V 24.8.8): DIGITAL TECHNICIAN II - UPDATES AND RELEASE NOTES. PURPOSE: This bulletin informs dealers that Harley-Davidson has made a software update to Digital Technician II (DT II). DIGITAL TECHNICIAN II (PART NUMBER: HD-48650). Version 24.8.8. Release Date: Week of August 5, 2024. New Features for Harley-Davidson vehicles: Advanced Module Replace for 2021 and later Revolution Max; 2023 and later CVO Touring; and 2024 Street Glide (FLHX), Road Glide (FLTRX). New Features for LiveWire vehicles: Updated calibrations for 2024 S2DM EV1/ EV6; 2024 S2MH EV1; and 2024 S2DM, S2MH. Changes: Added Hand Control Module (HCM) (Part No. 71500522A and 71500536A) for reflash support.
- 11005514GENUINE MOTOR PARTS AND MOTOR ACCESSORIES BULLETIN PAB1158: OIL FILTER PACKAGING AND CASE QUANTITY UPDATE. PURPOSE: To inform dealerships that Harley-Davidson has made updates to oil filters including new part numbers, packaging design, and bulk case quantity changes.
- 11001293SERVICE BULLETIN M1490 (V 24.6.4): DIGITAL TECHNICIAN II - UPDATES AND RELEASE NOTES. PURPOSE: Revision. This bulletin informs dealers that Harley-Davidson has made a software update to Digital Technician II (DT II). DIGITAL TECHNICIAN II (PART NUMBER: HD-48650). Version 24.6.4. Release Date: Week of May 1, 2024. New Features for LiveWire S2DM and S2MH, 2024 Revolution Max, and 2024 Touring.
- 10254115SERVICE BULLETIN M1612 (REV A): MILWAUKEE-EIGHT AND TWIN CAM TRANSMISSION GEAR PACKS. Purpose: Revision. Update: Notes for Table 3 and 4. * Updated: Part Numbers. This bulletin informs dealers that all: Twin Cam gear packs on CVO, Dyna, Police, Softail, Touring & Trike models and Milwaukee-Eight gear packs on CVO, Police, Softail, Touring & Trike models ordered after December 04, 2023 will not come with the shift drum, forks, shafts and related hardware. Models Affected: 2006-2017 Twin Cams: Dyna models 2007-2016 Twin Cams: CVO, Police, Touring and Trike models 2007-2017 Twin Cams: Softail models 2017-2024 Milwaukee-Eight: CVO, Police, Touring and Trike models 2018-2024 Milwaukee-Eight: Softail models
- 10248401GENUINE MOTOR PARTS AND MOTOR ACCESSORIES BULLETIN PAB1146: 68193-95 BULB WEDGE, FENDER TIP LAMP. Purpose: To inform dealers of an issue with the bulb wire terminals not being to specification. The light bulbs were used in numerous front and rear fender tip light assemblies for domestic and international applications.
- 10248398SERVICE BULLETIN M1612: MILWAUKEE-EIGHT AND TWIN CAM TRANSMISSION GEAR PACKS. Purpose: This bulletin informs dealers that all: Twin Cam gear packs on CVO, Dyna, Police, Softail, Touring & Trike models and Milwaukee-Eight gear packs on CVO, Police, Softail, Touring & Trike models ordered after December 04, 2023 will not come with the shift drum, forks, shafts and related hardware. Note: Resubmission is a correction to Selected Products Section of Transaction ID 24MC44619, NHTSA ID 10248397. Models Affected by M1612 to include only: 2006-2017 Twin Cams: Dyna models 2007-2016 Twin Cams: CVO, Police, Touring and Trike models 2007-2017 Twin Cams: Softail models 2017-2024 Milwaukee-Eight: CVO, Police, Touring and Trike models 2018-2024 Milwaukee-Eight: Softail models
- 10248397SERVICE BULLETIN M1612: MILWAUKEE-EIGHT AND TWIN CAM TRANSMISSION GEAR PACKS. Purpose: This bulletin informs dealers that all: Twin Cam gear packs on CVO, Dyna, Police, Softail, Touring & Trike models and Milwaukee-Eight gear packs on CVO, Police, Softail, Touring & Trike models ordered after December 04, 2023 will not come with the shift drum, forks, shafts and related hardware.
- 10179446GENUINE MOTOR PARTS AND MOTOR ACCESSORIES BULLETIN PAB1100: TWIN CAM LONGBLOCK & WARRANTY ENGINE - PROGRAM UPDATES. PURPOSE: To inform dealers of certain twin cam longblock and twin cam warranty engines are no longer supported. Instead, shortblocks should be ordered where applicable.